Adjustable nut for stringed instruments



Oct. 11, 1966 B. MILLER ETAL 3,277,765

ADJUSTABLE NUT FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Filed June 21, 1965 BYRON L. MILLER ELWOOD R. RICKMAN INVENTORS AGENT United States Patent a 277,765 ADJUSTABLE NUT F0 R STRIN GED INSTRUMENTS Byron L. Miller, 2495 Lawrence St., and Elwood R. Rickman, 1424 /2 Lincoln St., both of Eugene, Oreg. Filed June 21, 1965, Ser. No. 465,260 2 Claims. 01. s4-31s) This invention relates to an attachment for stringed instruments and more particularly to a device similar to a capo-tasto but having a distinct purpose therefrom. The instant invention when operatively disposed on the neck of a standard sized instrument permits the playing thereof by a child or person having somewhat less than normal arm reach. 1

1n the playing of any of the instruments of the viol class of which the most common are the violin, viola, cello and string base, it is necessary that the players hand be positionable adjacent the nut of the instrument for the playing of certain notes. The nut of the instrument is that part of the instrument adjacent the outer end of the fingerboard and serves to secure the strings against lateral movement. While undersized stringed instruments are available for individuals having less than the normal reach or finger span, they lack the tone quality of standard size instruments and result in a greater overall cost to the student musician. With this in mind, it is an important object of this invention to provide a string-engaging device which is readily adapted to the instruments neck and positioned therealong to accommodate the normal reach or finger span of the individual musician or child. This is a particularly important feature in view of the size problem often encountered by music instructors in grade or junior high schools.

Another important object is the provision of a device which when positioned on the neck of the instrument permits tuning in the normal manner using the instrument pegs and which, even though being in biased engagement with the strings, does not result in Wear of the instruments strings in excess of that of the instruments fixed nut.

Another important object is the particular configuration of the device and the material used therein which lend themselves to low-cost production type manufacture.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to be accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a violin including the scroll, peg box, neck and fingerboard with the subject device operatively disposed thereon.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

'FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of one pair of string-engaging lugs of the device.

With reference to the drawing and particularly FIG- URE 1 thereof, the numeral '1 indicates generally a portion of a violin neck integral at its outer end with a peg box 2, provided with tuning pegs 3, and which terminates in a scroll 4. A fingerboard is indicated at 5 which is superimposed and extends the length of the violin neck and terminates in overlying relationship with the violin body (not shown). A nut 6 secures the four strings G, D, A and E against lateral displacement by grooves indicated at G1, D1, A1 and B1 formed therein which also serve to retain each of their corresponding strings at a desired vertical distance from the fingerboard 5. The above-recited structure may be considered conventional with slight variations occurring in different makes of violins.

For purposes of description, the invention may best be termed an adjustable nut and while indicated generally at 10 in the accompanying drawing as applied to the neck of a violin, it is to be understood that it is equally practical when positioned upon the neck of commonly used stringed instruments which are the cello, string bass and viola.

Indicated by bracket A is that portion of the fingerboard designating the hand position for the playing of the simple notes with the adjustable nut in place with the latter serving to properly position the thumb. In the playing of a stringed instrument a skilled musicians fingers will of course traverse the run of the strings adjacent the fingerboard of the instrument.

The body of the adjustable nut is preferably of a high impact type, semi-rigid plastic formed in an open, substantially elliptical band 11 of uneven thickness and conformable about a section of a violin neck and superimposed fingerboard. Each of the strings, G, D, A and E, are engaged respectively by a pair of projections or upwardly extending lugs 12-13, 14-1'5, 1 6-r17 and 1849, integral with band 11 as shown in FIGURE 3.

As best shown in FIGURE 4, the string engaging surface of each lug is an inclined, curved surface as at 14A (FIG. 4) to provide a downwardly biasing surface as the string is tensioned. The curved surfaces 14A and 1 5A of FIGURE 4 are exemplary of each pair of lugs and provide means for retaining the strings in downwardly bearing contact with the band '11 without causing undue wear of the adjacent portion of the string. The corresponding string engaging surfaces 1 2A-16A, 16A- 17A and ISA-19A are of identical configuration. The lugs of a pair are aligned so as to cause a slight lateral displacement of its respective string into the solid line position from the broken line position of FIGURE 4 assuring positive engagement therewith as the string is tensioned.

The band 11 is provided with an extension to provide a fingergrip 20 having inwardly tapering sides 21-22 to facilitate mounting and removal of the device. The fingergrip 20 also functions as a thumb positioning means for the playing of simple notes. An elastic band or loop 24 is carried by the fingergrip 20 and is engageable with a hook member 25 formed at the end of a tapered end of the band 11 as indicated at 26. Prior to attaching the band 11 to the violin neck the strings, by means of the tuning pegs, are loosened to permit the hook member 25 and the end segment 26 to pass thereunder. 'It will be understood that the present invention may, if so desired, incorporate a band secured to the violin neck in a ditferent manner.

With the adjustable nut in place, re-tuning is accomplished with the tension on each of the strings being somewhat less to compensate for their shortened run. Once in place on the violin neck the adjustable nut may be repositioned by simply easing the tension of the strings and sliding it in the desired direction. The ease with which the adjustable nut is relocated is a desirable fea ture for the reason that an adolescents growth over a period of months or years will require, usually, several adjustments.

While we have shown a particular form of embodiment of our invention, we are aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desired to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An attachment of the type described for selective engagement about the neck and fingerboard of instruments of the viol class subjacent the strings thereof to provide a positionable nut, said positionable nut comprising,

an elongate band of flexible plastic material adapted to be disposed about in conforming relationship to a transverse section of the neck of the instrument with its ends terminating in spaced apart relationship,

an elastic member secured to one of said ends and releasably attached under tension to the other of said ends,

said band having a string supporting portion underlying the strings and of a vertical thickness equal to the normal height of the strings above the fingerboard of the instrument,

a first and a second row of projections formed on said band on that portion thereof underlying the strings, each of said projections having a string biasing surface formed as to cause horizontal deflection in each of the normally straight axes of the strings of the instrument,

said string biasing surface formed in an inclined relationship to retain the strings against said string supporting portion of said band, and

said string biasing surface further characterized by being curved in horizontal section to minimize wear of the biased part of the strings.

2. The attachment as claimed in claim 1 wherein said band is provided with an integrally formed extension at one of its sides, said extension providing a fingergrip to facilitate positioning of the attachment on the neck of the instrument and when so positioned said extension provides a thumb rest.

References Cited by the Examiner RICHA'RD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

LEO *SMI'LOW, Examiner.

R. S. WARD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ATTACHMENT OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED FOR SELECTIVE ENGAGEMENT ABOUT THE NECK AND FINGERBOARD OF INSTRUMENTS OF THE VIOL CLASS SUBJECTED THE STRINGS THEREOF TO PROVIDE A POSITIONABLE NUT, SAID POSITIONABLE NUT COMPRISING, AN ELONGATE BAND OF FLEXIBLE PLASTIC MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED ABOUT IN CONFORMING RELATIONSHIP TO A TRANSVERSE SECTION OF THE NECK OF THE INSTRUMENT WITH ITS ENDS TERMINATING IN SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP, AN ELASTIC MEMBER SECURED TO ONE OF SAID ENDS AND RELEASABLY ATTACHED UNDER TENSION TO THE OTHER OF SAID ENDS, SAID BAND HAVING A STRING SUPPORTING PORTION UNDERLYING THE STRINGS AND OF A VERTICAL THICKNESS EQUAL TO THE NORMAL HEIGHT OF THE STRINGS ABOVE THE FINGERBOARD OF THE INSTRUMENT, A FIRST AND A SECOND ROW OF PROJECTIONS FORMED ON SAID BAND ON THAT PORTION THEREOF UNDERLYING THE STRINGS, EACH OF SAID PROJECTIONS HAVING A STRING BIASING SURFACE FORMED AS TO CAUSE HORIZONTAL DEFLECTION IN EACH OF THE NORMALLY STRIAGHT AXES OF THE STRINGS OF THE INSTRUMENT, SAID STRING BIASING SURFACE FORMED IN AN INCLINED RELATIONSHIP TO RETAIN THE STRINGS AGAINST SAID STRING SUPPORTING PORTION OF SAID BAND, AND SAID STRING BIASING SURFACE FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY BEING CURVED IN HORIZONTAL SECTION TO MINIMIZE WEAR OF THE BIASED PART OF THE STRINGS. 